Alberta Liberal response to Question 10

Question: What additional financial support will you provide to address the increased costs and responsibilities associated with policing in Calgary?

Answer:
All Albertans should feel safe in their communities irrespective of where they live. To achieve this, Alberta Liberals believe that the province needs to invest in not just policing, but also in the health and well-being of our families and communities. In short, addressing social determinants of crime such as poverty, mental illness, and addictions is an essential part of the equation.

As a target, Alberta Liberals will aim to initially increase the current police funding formula for our largest urban centres to at least $20 per capita, and revamp the police funding formula for communities with populations from 5,001 to 20,000 and from 20,001 to 100,000. We will also actively encourage the provision of adequate funding for community policing initiatives to ensure a higher level of neighbourhood security.

As part of our election platform, Alberta Liberals have also made targeted spending commitments to key program areas such as Family and Community Support Services (!$19 million or 25% increase) and mental illness and addition issues ($75.5 million), legal aid funding (an extra $12 million) not to mention a massive commitment to community and preventative supports for the health system ($275 million).

Going forward, Alberta Liberals believe that the development of city charters for Calgary and Edmonton represents the appropriate mechanism for resolving matters pertaining to policing and other areas.